Adjustable ventilator for hats



(ModeL).

W. M. PROTHEROE.

I ADJUSTABLE VENTILATOR FOR HATS.

No. 297,715. Patented Apr. 29, 1884.

U ITED 1 STATES PATENT Fi -ICE.

WILLIAM M. PROTHEROE, OF NEW YORK,.N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE V ENTI LATOR FO R HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.297,7l5, dated April 29, 1884.

Application filed April 16, 1883. (Model) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. PROTHE- ROE, of the city, county, and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Adjustable Ventilator for Hats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of hats in which space is left between the head of the wearer and the side crown of the hat, or between the side crown of the hat and the sweatleather, for purposes of ventilation.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a practical and convenient ventilator for hats so constructed and attached that it may be opened or closed without removing the hat from the head; and, second, to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a ventilator for hats comprising sweat-leather and supporting devices adapted to be readily applied to any hat and capable of the adjustment referred to. These objects I accomplish by preparing a sweat-leather which is made smaller in circumference than the interior circumference of the hat at the line of intersection of the side crown with the brim, to allow ventilation between it and the side crown, with or without strengtheningband,and securing it to the hat by means of slides or similar devices, so that while the hat is on the head the hatbody,-by moderate pressure of the hand, may be moved backward or forward relatively to the hat-sweat, thus opening or closing or changing the ventilation, as hereinafter described. I also provide a continuous ring of stiffened felt or other suitable material,which carries the sweat-leather, and to which said slides or other fastenings are attached, prepared to be easily inserted into any hat.

In the drawings, Figure l shows one form of my improved adjustable ventilator consisting of sweat-band provided with slides or similar fastenin gs. Fig. 2 shows another form of my improved adjustable ventilator in which the sweat-band is braced or strengthened and provided with flanges and perforations, also with slides or similar fastenings.

still another form of my improved adjustable ventilator, which consists of a continuous ring of felt or other suitable material, with flanges and perforations,which carries the sweat-band and is provided with slides or other fasten- Fig. 3shows ings. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of a hat with my adj ustable ventilator and flanges in position, also a hand grasping the same. Fig. 5 represents a section of a hat, showing the position of the sweat, when the ventilator is-open. Fig. 6 represents a similar section,

showing the position of the sweat when the ventilator is closed. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show three of the different slides or fastenings which I employ, also cross-sections of the hat, illustrating how they are used.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre-- sponding parts.

0 is the hat-sweat, of leather or other suitable material; D, the hat-crown, and E the hat-brim. The slides or other fastenings, y, secure the sweat O to the side crown, D, in such manner that the sweat is capable of being easily movedhori'zontally relativelyto the hat forward over the space as y (shown in Fig. 5) and backward over the spacewz. (Shown in Fig. 6.) Thus when the hat is on the head and the hat-body is drawn forward relativelyto the hat-sweat, the spacer y in the front of the hat is opened, and at the'same time the corresponding space, w 2, at the back is closed. By pressing the hat-body backward it is obvious that the opposite effect will be produced. Air is thus admitted at either as y or w 2, as desired. When the sweat is so placed that both spaces as y and we are'partly open at the same time, ventilation is given both front and back. It is obvious that the slides, swings, rollers, hooks,.or other fastenings, which I refer to generally under the letter 9, may be of various shapes and kinds. Three different ones are shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 in their full size.

In Figs. 4 and 7 L is a strip of brass or other suitable material,which is eyeleted to the side crown at s and to the'sweat O or to the sweatbrace B at s in suoh manner that it will support thesweatinplacewithin thehat,andatthesame time swing upon the eyelets, thus allowing to the eyelet s and to the sweat G a movement in a direction substantially parallel to the line of intersection of the side crown with the brim.

In Figs. 3 and 8,'M is a double hook oftempered brass or other suitable material, which hangs upon the eyelet s in the side crown and hooks under the eyelet s,to support the sweat and allow the movement as above described. i

In Figs. 5, 6, and 9, N is a plate of brass or other suitable material, slotted at r, and secured to the inner side of the sweat-brace (that side next the sweat) in such manner that when the sweat is in position in the hat the slot 1- will be parallel to the line of intersection of the side crown and brim. The pin tpasses through the slot its head resting against the plate X, and through a similar slot in the sweat-brace B. and is secured to the hat, as illustrated. W'hile the plate Nslides with the sweat, the pin 15 is stationary in the hat. This plate N may be secured either to the sweat, (in which case the head of the pin t is placed between the plate and the sweat,) to the sweat brace, or to the hat, as desired. Ido notlimit myself, however, to any particular shape or kind of fastening g. One, two, or more of these fasteniugs may be used at each side of the hat. They are attached to the side crown, D, near its intersection with the hat-brim E, whereby any portion which protrudes or would be visible upon the outside of the hat-body is hidden by the hat-band F, and also at a distance from the front and back of the hat, so as not to interfere with the free circulation of air through the ventilation-spaces a: y or w The exact space along the side crown within which these fastenings should be limited is governed by the amount of space provided for ventilation.

In securing the slides or other fastenings to the hat-sweat proper I employ a small plate of brass or other suitable material, 0, (shown in Fig. 1,) which is sewed or otherwise secured to the sweat, and which carries the slot 1" (shown in Fig. 9) or the eyelet 8. (Shown in Figs. 7 and S.) This plate may be perforated near its edge for the purpose of stitching it to the,

sweat.

The space wzin the back of the hat, as shown in Fig. 5, may be closed at all times by the flange A, hereinafterdescribed; or it may be closed by a crescent-shaped piece of soft materialas silk or muslin-sufiicientl y broad to cover the space when fully opened, which is sewed to the hat and to the sweat. This material may be so shaped and arranged that it will fold up within the hat between the sweat and the side crown when the space 10 z is closed.

For my adjustable ventilator the needed sweat maybe strengthened by employing a stout wire of tempered brass or steel instead of the ordinary reed. I also supply a strengthening or bracing band, B, of metal, felt, or other suitable material, sn rroun di n g the sweat, in which case the slides or other fastenings, may be attached to the band B, as illustrated in Fig. 2. To obtain a neater finish I conceal the spaces (0 y and w 2 by means of flanges A and A, which are made of metal, papiermach, felt, or other suitable material, and are secured to the sweat C or to the sweat-brace B by sewing or otherwise, or which form parts of the sweat G or of the sweat-brace B. These flanges lap over upon the under side of the hat-brim E, fit up closely against the same, and

move with the sweat. The flange A is perforated at c e c, &e., as shown. \Vhen the sweat is so placed relatively to the hat that the perforations c c c", &c., are opposite the space 00 7 air is admitted to that space, and thence to the top of the head. The corresponding flange, A, may also be perforated, so that air may be admitted either front or back or both front and back, as desired.

The flanges A and A may be so constructed as to extend entirely around the sweat, as shown in Fig. 3. In combination wit-h the fastenings g they serve to hold the sweat firmly in position, preventing it from sliding inward toward the crown.

Another form of my improved ventilator consists in a ring of felt, stiffened with shellac or other suitable material, formed as shown in Fig. 3, which is composed of the band B,which is about one-half inch wide, the flange A, perforated at c c c, &c., and the flange A. This ring is shaped, curled, and set to correspond to thehat in which it is to be used, and is sufficiently less in circumference to permit of the desired amount of ventilation at x 3 or w z, as described. The slides or other fastenings, g, are secured to the portion B. Before attaching to the hat, the sweat-leather O is secured to the ring as to an ordinary hat. It is then sprung into position, so that the flanges A A will lie closely up against the hat-brim E, and secured by the slides or other fastenings. My ventilator in this form adjusts itselfto the head of the wearer in the same manner as an ordinary stiif felt hat.

I increase the strength and durability of my ventilator by making the flange A sufficiently bread that it maybe grasped by the wearer and held firmly up against the under side of the hat-brim between the thumb and fingers, as illustrated in Fig. 4, thus removing a part of the strain from the sides or fastenings r and serving to prevent the hat-sweat or sweatbrace from being torn or broken in the operation of putting on or removing the hat.

I do not claim anything claimed in my application for Letters Patent of even date herewith for an Improvement in Ventilators for Hats.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. An entire horizontally sliding, swinging, or movable hat-sweat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A hat-sweat made smaller in circumference than the interior circumference of the hat, and secured thereto by slides or other fastenings, whereby the sweat is capable of horizontal movement relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of the hat D E, the hatsweat C, and the slides or fastenings 9, whereby the sweat is capable of horizontal movement relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a hat IIO 297,715 v V a sweat strengthened or braced, and provided with slides or other fastenings for the purpose of securing the sweat within the hat, and of allowing a horizontal movement of the same relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a ventilating-hat, the sweat-band O,

the flange A, perforated at e e e, &c., and the flange A, in combination with the slides or other fastenings, whereby said sweat band and flanges are, capable of horizontal movement relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described. 7. ha ventilating-hat, the continuous ring of felt A B A, with perforations e e e, &c., and the sweat-leather O, in combination with theslides or other fastenings, 9, whereby said ring of felt and sweat are capable of horizontal movement relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. 'In a ventilating-hat, the sweat-brace B, with flanges A A, perforated at e e e", &c., in

combination with slides or other fastenings, g, whereby said sweat-brace is capable of horizontal movement'relatively to the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. A ventilating device for hats, consisting of the sweat-band G, made smaller in circumference than the interior circumference of the side crown, D, at its intersection with the brim E, to admit air between it and the side crown,

gbraced or strengthened by a ring of metal,

felt, or other material, provided with theflange A, perforated at e e e, &c., and the flange A, all secured to the hat'by the slides or other fastenings, g, in such manner that by horizontal movement of the sweat relatively to the hat.

the ventilation may be opened or closed or changed, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the horizontally sliding, swinging. or movable hat-sweat C, the flange A, constructed sufficiently broad so as to enable the wearer to support it firmly up u against the under side of the hat-brim E between the thumb and fingers in the operation of putting on and removing the hat, substantially as and for the purposes described.

1 WILLIAM M. PROTHEROE.

Witnesses:

W. W. DOWNING, SAML. B. BENN. 

